Iberia and Air Europa reduce flight costs to Balearics by 5%

In response, Air Europa announced that it, too, would be reducing fares between the Balearic Islands and the mainland by 5%, but, in its case, on all the price tariffs and for all passengers, not just residents. The airline's deputy director explained that the decrease in price was possible "after optimising our fleet and flying each route with the most suitable aircraft" thus increasing the occupancy level of flights and enabling prices to be adjusted.

However, Iberia's price reduction will have little effect in Menorca's case, as it only applies to flights operated entirely by the airline and not by its subsidiary companies and Iberia's flights between Menorca and Barcelona are covered by Vueling. In addition, it only applies to the 'basic tariff' and, according to travel agents, the majority of Menorcans choose the 'economy tariff'.

Although politicians consider the price reduction to be "good" they also consider it to be insufficient, especially in the case of Menorca and Ibiza where, according to the Senator for the Balearics, Pere Sampol, the prices should be halved.

INCREASED SUMMER FLIGHTS

The low-cost airline Easyjet is to offer more connections to Menorca during the height of the season, with three flights per week to Paris between 10th July and 4th September; four to Madrid, from 4th July to 3rd September; and a daily flight to Milan between 4th July and 4th September.

Another low-cost airline, Vueling, has decided to open a route between Menorca and Roma-Fiumicino which, until now, has only been available through tour operators as part of a package holiday.

The Balearic Government announced last Thursday that Palma and Ibiza would have flights to airports which have not previously had connections (East Midlands, Glasgow, Venice, Cagliari, Málaga, Reus and Toulouse) and that there would be 14 extra flights on existing routes.

DEPENDENCY ON FLIGHTS

According to a European Union study, 29% of the population of the Balearic Islands depends on air travel and the archipelago relies more heavily on flights than any other region of the continent, showing the importance of good aerial connections.

The report considers that the most dependent regions are those that are most vulnerable to adverse effects on their competitiveness and activity as a result of rises in the price of fuel, "an aspect to be considered when talking of the Balearic Islands".

The Canary Islands occupy fifth place in the list of European regions most dependent on air travel.